| Overview
Spring banding 2001 took place on 26 days
from 19 April to 30 May. Nets were open an average of 4.25
hours per day with average 17 nets (12 meter equivalent*).
We started out We banded 510 new birds and had 106 recaptures. A total of 668 birds were netted (this includes birds released unbanded). Our capture rate was 36.0 birds per 100 net-hours. Previous spring means are 528 new birds and 649 total, and 42.8 per 100 net-hours. Thus, according to the numbers, our spring season was "average." Our busiest day was 17 May, a good day
for migrants around the region. The next day was merely average,
and for the rest of the month our total number of birds banded was less
than we typically band in a single day! A stubborn low pressure system
stalled to our west was a major culprit in shutting of migration to our
area. As a result, we completely missed banding many warbler species,
including Black-throated Blue, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, and Black-and-white!
Thrushes were also nearly absent with only one Swainson's netted (spring
mean is 16.6, a decline of 94%), no Gray-cheeked, three Veery, and one
Hermit. Hermit Not all was lost, and we did band some species in excellent numbers (total followed by previous spring mean, deviation from mean):
High site fidelity This spring, the 100th Gray Catbird banded
in a previous year returned to our nets after its Central American/West
Indies vacation. The oldest catbird to return was a male first banded
as an adult in 1998. He's returned to nest each year since.
A Red-eyed Vireo first banded in 1998 also returned; this species winters
in the Amazon region! Among our residents, we recaptured a Northern
Cardinal from 1994 and a Blue Jay from 1996. For more on returns,
go to our
interesting banding recoveries page.
Prior to May 3, seventeen species set new early arrival dates for Dearborn, and most species were Neotropical migrants. These included Black-throated Green Warbler (4/13), Cape May Warbler (4/15), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (4/22), and Bay-breasted Warbler (5/1). Keep track of the comings and goings and by checking our latest sightings. |
with
several species we don't often band: Blue-winged Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
(left), and Savannah Sparrow. We thought we might have a chance at
getting a record number of species, but the weather didn't cooperate and
we ended up with a disappointing 58 species.
Thrushes
are early migrants and presumably would not have been influenced by the
low pressure system, but during their migration window, our net lanes were
completely flooded! (Yes, the banders are wearing life vests in this photo.)
